By Elizabeth Troutman |
The U.S. Air Force has plans that are expected to further devastate Tucson’s economy.
The Air Force plans to divest the entire fleet of A-10 aircraft within the next three to five years. Pilots and maintainers at Davis-Monthan will move onto the extraordinarily expensive F-35 aircraft due to the divestment, the Arizona Daily Independent reported.
The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where the A-10 “Warthog” ground-attack jets are stationed, hosts more than 10,000 airmen and civilian employees and contributes nearly $1 billion to the Tucson-area economy annually.
Fans of the A-10 will have one of their last opportunities to see the Warthog up close at the Luke Days 2024 airshow March 23-24.
The Air Force announced that after nearly 50 years at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the 355th Wing had begun divesting its fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in February of this year.
Some say the Air Force has sought divestment of the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft for years because it is an economical and effective aircraft and does not benefit defense contractors.
Arizona representatives sought to save the aircraft in May 2021 after a Biden administration budget plan called for the retirement of the Warthogs. Six Arizona Democrats — Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, and Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick, Ruben Gallego, Tom O’Halleran and Greg Stanton — and Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko vowed to oppose the A-10 retirement plans. They cited its unique role in close air support of ground troops and lack of any near-term replacement for that mission.
“Removing A-10s from the fleet when there is not another aircraft capable of performing this mission takes a vital tool away from our military and is the wrong step for our national security,” said Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The A-10C Demonstration Team has performed for more than 40 years with dozens of pilots and teams at hundreds of air shows across multiple countries.
Pima County Board of Supervisors candidate John Backer served as an A-10 electrician in the 1980s.
“Having been blessed with first-hand experience of working on the airplane, I understand completely what a unique air frame the A-10 remains to this day,” he said. “Through the years, countless Marines and Army soldiers have shared their love, respect, and gratitude for the A-10 – a majority feel the A-10 directly saved their lives.”
Though the base is reportedly bringing in additional missions, Backer said the Warthogs will be hard to replace due to their Close Air Support capabilities and financial impact for Pima County.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
